EDINBORO — General McLane track and field coach Brad Wingler was unsure if future Lancer Relays will be scheduled on a Friday, as that inaugural competition was.
He was clearer, though, about establishing it as a regular meet on District 10's calendar.
"We had 700-some athletes come out here (to Linden Field)," Wingler said. "I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was awesome to see."
Wingler said that before he saw the final standings, which made Friday even better.
The format for a relay meet puts more emphasis on group scoring, particularly on the track.
It was on Linden's six lanes where the McLane and McDowell boys experienced the brunt of their success.Those Lancers and Trojans tied for first at 67 points.
McDowell's girls won with 92 points to McLane's 88.
"I loved seeing the teams take the individual aspect out of (some events)," Wingler said.
Coed competition
Friday's meet even included mixed relays, which aren't conducted during the PIAA's postseason. Males started the first and third legs, with females taking the baton for the second and fourth.
North East's Conner Rowicki and Roman Rizzo joined Ashley Hartner and Miah Skelly for first place in the mixed 1,600. They were timed at 3 minutes, 59.79 seconds.
"We were all talking about this (race) for a little while," Hartner said. "I know I liked it and it was a lot of fun."
Meadville's Tymir Phillips, Tatum Gorney, Jordan Lawrence and anchor Marlaya McCoy sprinted to first in 400 mixed relay. They completed their lap in 47.74.
Fort LeBoeuf's 14 coed points were two more than North East's total.
State champ seeks district glory
Friday was the first group competition for North East's Abby Malesiewski since last season's PIAA championships at Shippensburg University. It was there the then-freshman received the gold medal as the state's fastest female for its Class 2A 100-meter hurdles final.
Barely.
Malesiewski and Montrose graduate Chloe Diaz were listed with identical times of 14.85 on Seth Grove Stadium's scoreboard. Meet officials studied enhanced video for several minutes before they declared North East's newcomer as the victor.
Malesiewski's first-place effort in Friday's 100 hurdles was significantly less dramatic. She won ...
